For The Game
by RoseByMidknight
Summary: Dinah gets tickets to play minigolf, Helena refuses to go, and Dinah tries to find out why.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Birds of Prey is property of DC Comics and WB   
**AN:** _Feedback of any kind is welcome!_

**For the Game:  
**_ Chapter One_

"No absolutely not!" Helena glared at the blonde teenager with something like disgust. 

"But why not…" Dinah whined.

"Because it's a stupid game and I don't have the time" with that said the dark heroine turned majestically and went into the kitchen to find food.

"It is not a silly game" Dinah muttered, looking down at the blue tickets in her hand. She had won them in the school raffle. The young teen had been so excited to get them. It's not like she'd never played Putt-Putt golf before, but the chance to test her skills against the all-mighty Helena Kyle was always a reason to be excited.

However she had not expected an outright refusal. Sure, maybe some complaining, and some "there's no way you can beat me", but Dinah didn't think she would get shot down. The teenager frowned. Maybe Barbara will tell me what's so bad about golfing.

Ding the toaster rang and Dinah took a moment to indulge in some childish revenge.

"DINAH!" The shout rang from the kitchen and a dark blur flew out of the doorway, and appeared in the living room. But Dinah was already out of sight. Helena growled in frustration and stalked back into the kitchen. She looked up at the pop-tart floating 4 feet above her head. Never mess with a telekinetic, she though ruefully. With a sigh, she went to find a ladder.

"Hey, Barbara, can I ask you something?" Dinah sat down on a chair next to her mentor. Barbara had been hard at work looking at Delphi, as always, but now she turned to her young protégée.

"Why does Helena hate the idea of putt-putt?" Dinah was genuinely curious.

For a minute Dinah didn't think Barbara heard her, but then she realized that the redhead seemed to be pondering something.

"A long time ago", the older woman began slowly, "when Helena was young, she used to sneak out and wander the dark streets by herself. One night she came back and woke her mom up, so excited because she'd found an old putt-putt course. It had been long ago abandoned, but the course was in a salvageable condition, and clubs were still there. Her mother grounded her at first, of course, because she had been out of bed. But later, the two of them snuck in, and slowly began cleaning up the course. Together, they managed to make it about 80 clean"

_Always the geek_ Dinah thought, and laughed quietly, before returning her attention to the story.

"From then on, every Friday the two of them would play golf together. Selina told me that Helena would never get par, but she was so proud of the golf course itself, and happy to be spending time with her mother, that she didn't seem to care about her score."

"Helena didn't care about her score?" Dinah just had to interrupt, because as long as she'd known Helena, the score was all that mattered in games. It was the difference between winning and losing.

Barbara grinned momentarily, before responding.

"Yes, as a child, she only cared about being with her mother. Her mother was her world…" Barbara trailed off and Dinah sat quietly as she waited.

"To answer your question, I think that maybe Helena just doesn't want to be reminded of those times. It reminds her too much of what she has lost"

"I see" Dinah slowly stood up.

"Thanks for the story Barbara" she said softly as she turned to leave the room.

Barbara didn't seem to hear her, but that was okay with Dinah.

The teen went into her room and sat on her bed. Her tickets were now crumpled from being in her pocket. _There has got to be a way to get Helena on the golf course,_ she thought.

_And why would you do that?_ Her second inner voice said, _You heard Barbara, Helena doesn't want to be reminded; she wants to be left alone. It's better if you just leave well enough alone_"

_That's not true,_ ignoring the fact that she was arguing with herself, Dinah protested, _I don't want to remind her of what she's lost…I want…_

_What?_, her cynical voice sneered.

_I want to remind her of a good time in her past…and remind her…that she can still have good times_. Her mind set, Dinah left her room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Birds of Prey is property of DC Comics and WB   
**AN:** _Please R/R!_

**For the Game: **  
_Chapter Two_

  
"Alfred?" Helena called to the butler, coming into the study. 

"Yes Miss Helena?" the elderly man set his tea down on the table.

"Where is the ladder in this place?" Helena had yet to find one and was getting very frustrated, and very hungry.

"I believe there is one in the closet next to the refrigerator" The butler almost didn't catch the "thanks" that was blurted as the now fuming Helena raced _back_ to the kitchen. Sure enough, upon opening the closet, behold, there was a ladder.

Helena set up the ladder without looking in the middle of the kitchen. Her half-hour search was over! She climbed to the top, looked to where she had last seen her floating breakfast. She didn't see it. Frowning, she looked down-

And nearly toppled off the ladder when she saw her pop-tart, untouched, on the counter below her, inches from where she first climbed up the ladder.

_I should've known…Blondie can't keep something floating for a long time yet_, Helena rolled her eyes and dropped to the ground soundlessly, snatching up her prized food and sitting on the ladder's first step.

She was still eating when Barbara wheeled into the kitchen. Helena nearly dropped her half-eaten pop-tart. _Wha-?_ Barbara was never away from Delphi at this hour. Such a thing was just not done. Helena ran out of the kitchen, and skidded to a halt in front of the clock tower window. Still hanging onto her food, she heaved a huge sigh of relief as she looked out and saw everything was normal in Gotham City. Barbara gave her a strange look from the doorway.

"I had to make sure the next ice age hadn't hit, because that'd be the only reason you weren't hovering over Delphi right now" Helena said, managing to smirk matter-of-factly.

"Oh ha-ha" Barbara was only slightly amused, "actually I came to talk to you"

"Okay….what about?" Helena settled herself onto the sofa as Barbara wheeled closer to her.

"Bar-bar-a," Helena waved a hand in front of her mentor's face. Barbara was staring over her shoulder at something and it was disconcerting to see the redhead being so serious. Helena frowned. "What did you wanna talk about?"

Barbara gave her an indiscernible look before speaking carefully.

"Do you remember the 'Kyle Golf Course'?"

Helena's eyes widened and both hands shot up to grab her head as images assaulted her.

_flashback_

_"Mom, hey mom, look!" a little dark haired child was bouncing back and forth, barely able to contain her excitement, "we can play now, see, see?" Helena waved an arm in the direction of the course, encompassing it all in her sweep._

_"Yes, I can see" Selina Kyle was tired, but very proud of her daughter, who had risen early in the mornings and stayed up late (a point which was argued over constantly but in the end Selina consented because at least it was productive), to fix and repair the small putt-putt course. It had taken the two of them over a month to clear out all of the rubble, and trash that had accumulated over the years, but at last the course looked halfway decent, and the 18 holes were all visible. Someone had abandoned the clubs but Helena managed to salvage them after she scrubbed them clean. Once every night for a week, Selina smiled as she remembered the mess Helena had made with the dozen clubs and a large bucket of soapy water. Her mind came back to the present._

_Today was the opening day. Tomorrow they were going to invite Barbara to join them, but today was their special day. Selina took a long red ribbon from her bag and wound it around the two metal posts that signified the entrance to the course. It was corny, she knew, but Selina wanted her daughter to realize how proud she was of her._

_"Helena," the small figure stopped leaping from green to green to look at her mom, "come over here and we can officially start". Selina smiled and handed a small pair of child's scissors to her daughter. Awed and quiet for once, the child accepted them._

_"Now, let's cut the red ribbon so we can open the Kyle Course" Selina backed up and gave her daughter room._

_Carefully, Helena put the scissors near the ribbon. She peered closer at the red ribbon…the dark red ribbon…_

_---Red, there was red everywhere, the color terrified her…she was crying, her entire body shaking--_

_end flashback_

Helena sat up with a jerk. Ignoring the concerned look on Barbara's face, she scowled at her teacher and stood in a single movement.

"I don't know what you're talking about" the dark warrior stalked out, leaving Barbara alone in the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: Birds of Prey is property of DC Comics and WB  
**AN/Disclaimer#2**: Wahoo, I got reviews:-D...here's some more to read!

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**For the Game:**  
_Chapter Three__

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_

Helena stomped toward her room. Her mind was a whirlwind of pain and chaotic memories. She didn't even notice Dinah as the teen scrambled out of her way to avoid being run over.

"Helena?" the older girl ignored her and flew into her room, slamming the door with enough force to rattle the steel hinges.  
_  
Now what's wrong?_ Dinah wondered. She went into the living room. To her surprise and worry she found Barbara staring out at the night sky and_ is she crying? _Quietly, Dinah came closer.

Barbara turned quickly as she sensed someone else in the room. Dinah pretended not to notice as her mentor sniffed and swiped at her eyes with one sleeve.

"Dinah, what are you doing in here?"

"I was just going… to the kitchen…for some food" Dinah replied, sidestepping the chair as she went the long way to the kitchen. At the doorway, she paused, but continued to the fridge when she realized Barbara didn't respond, again.

"Oh…okay" Barbara said to the air, since the teen had already left. She gazed in the direction her other student had gone. Barbara knew from experience there was no talking to Helena when she was like this. _Not yet anyway._ Barbara sighed.

She wheeled back into the Delphi room and stopped in front of the blank screen. Barbara put one hand to her temple as she tilted her head back, trying to clear her mind. _I didn't mean for her to react this way. But I should've known better. _Slowly, she drifts off into sleep.  
_  
-flashback-_

_Barbara hadn't been able to attend the Kyle's beloved golf course until after it had been 'open' for a while. She promised __Helena__ that she would go today. The child and her mom were going to meet her at the course, because Barbara had some things to do around the house._

_Barbara was just getting out of the shower when she decided to turn on the television._

_She put her cup of tea in the microwave to warm it up. Outside, rain was pouring down in sheets, converging in the dark streets to form small rivers. Her tea sufficiently warm, Barbara turned her attention back to the ancient TV. It was old, and the color was fading, but the sound worked perfectly._

_The words "headline news" flashed in dull red and gray on the bottom of the screen. Barbara moved the TV closer, at sat down on the nearest chair. She sipped her tea slowly._

_"We have a breaking story: A fatal stabbing in New __Gotham__: Downtown New __Gotham_

_Barbara's eyes widened and she reached over to turn up the volume. Pictures, too dark to see, flashed across the screen. Lightning flashed outside and the glare obsured the TV screen for an second as the reporter continued._

_"Reports are coming in that the victim is the infamous Selena Kyle,-"_

_Barbara gasped and the tea cup fell to the floor as Barbara's hand covered her mouth in horror. The cup shattered but Barbara didn't hear it. Her eyes and ears were only for the TV._

_"-the mysterious and beautiful businesswoman, once accused of leading a double life as the jewel thief called Catwoman."_

_"Helena" Barbara realized that nothing was said about the child. She watched, and hoped, but a feeling of dread was growing in the back of her mind._

_"It is now confirmed. Selina Kyle is dead at the scene."_

_Barbara rushed blindly to the phone as the TV continued to expel its horrible news. She had to call someone, anyone! Someone had to know where __Helena__ was, if she was alright. Water dripped from her hair and merged with the tears flowing down the young woman's face._

_"…Catwoman is survived by her only daughter, Helena. Ms. Kyle has been romantically linked to the enigmatic millionaire Bruce Wayne."_

_Barbara dialed and redialed but the phone wasn't working. Suddenly, there came a knock at the door._

_Thinking and praying that it was be __Helena__, that she could have escaped, Barbara ran to the door and flung it open._

_Standing there, green hair blown back and crazed eyes fixed on her, was her greatest enemy. The Joker raised his hand, and Barbara saw the glint of gunmetal. She started to scream._

_-end flashback-_

Barbara awoke to shrieking sirens. Delphi's alarms were going off, and warning screens flashed blue on all of the monitors. Putting the present above the past, Barbara immediately went into action. Her fingers flew across the keyboard.

Dinah arrived in the room first and immediately tried to look at all the screens at once, followed by Helena who merely stood in the shadows.

"What happened?" Dinah asked.

Barbara quickly checked the screens, and typed in a few more commands.

"There's a break in at No Man's Land" Barbara frowned, "and I don't see Gibson anywhere on the camera feeds."

"Then he's probably knocked out in a closet somewhere, whimpering like a dog" Helena said scornfully. "I'm on it" she walked out onto the balcony, looked down at the closet rooftop, and jumped.

Dinah stared, and Barbara frowned "I hate it when she does that"

_

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End file.
